Softball

Rams Use Late Inning Rallies to Sweep Briarcliffe

Apr 21, 2008

Rams Use Late Inning Rallies to Sweep
Briarcliffe

Game One
Farmingdale State - 8, Briarcliffe - 4

Game Two
Farmingdale State - 5, Briarcliffe -4

Farmingdale, N.Y. - The Farmingdale State
softball team improved to 23-9 overall with a non-conference
doubleheader sweep over Briarcliffe College today in Farmingdale,
N.Y. The Rams won the first game 8-4 as freshman pitcher Lauren
Poplawski (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) pitched seven innings
allowing two earned runs with four strikeouts. In game two,
freshman Nicole Farber (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) got the win as
the Rams rallied in the sixth and seventh innings to overcome a 4-2
deficit and take the 5-4 victory.

In the first game, the Rams were behind 2-1 after three innings,
but jumped ahead 3-2 with a sacrifice fly by freshman Christi Lake
(Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Faith Academy) to score senior Erin Dodge
(Plainedge, N.Y./Island Trees) from third base, and a double by
freshman catcher Arielle Morelli (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) to
score freshman Jessica Dautner (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park) from
second.

Junior outfielder Kristina Cirillo (Brentwood, N.Y./Brentwood)
hit a lead off triple in the fifth inning and scored on an error to
make it 4-2 Rams. Farmingdale State broke the game open with a
single by Dautner and doubles from freshman shortstop Alexis
Pennella (College Point, N.Y./St. John's Prep), Morelli and Farber
to hold an 8-4 lead after six.

Briarcliffe had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the
seventh for the chance to make a comeback, but Cirillo sealed the
game catching a fly ball to centerfield.

In game two, the Rams fell behind 3-0 after four and broke the
shutout with a run in the fifth for a 3-1 deficit. Briarcliffe's
Laura McTaggart (Rocklin, Calif.) hit a lead off homerun in the
sixth to give her team a 4-1 lead, but Farmingdale State was not
going away yet.

Morelli led off the bottom of the sixth and reached on an error
by the shortstop, which sent her to second base on an overthrow.
Farber was up next and hit a sacrifice fly to center, moving
Morelli over to third base. Cirillo singled through the left side
to score Morelli and make it 4-2 Briarcliffe. Sophomore first
basemen Shannon Scudder (Seaford, N.Y./MacArthur) reached on an
error by the left fielder, which moved Cirillo over to second.
Sophomore outfielder Kim Ferraiolo (Staten Island,
N.Y./Tottenville) dropped a single into left center, moving Scudder
to third and scoring Cirillo to cut the Briarcliffe lead to just
one with one inning left to play.

In the bottom of the seventh, Poplawski hit a lead off single
and was brought in by Pennella with a triple to centerfield to tie
the game at 4-4. Morelli reached on a fielder's choice and moved
over to second, while Pennella got caught in a rundown for one out.
Farber came up and reached on an error, while Morelli came around
to score the game-winning run for a Rams 5-4 victory.

Farmingdale State will host John Jay College on Tuesday, April
22nd in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m.